Results 8,901-8,920 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together. The First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Further information is available at:www.firsthomescheme.ie. The Scheme is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: While Tyone Abbey is a national monument in private ownership, the owners may make an application for funding under the Community Monuments Fund grant scheme of the National Monuments Service of my Department. The Community Monuments Fund was established in 2020 to provide investment in Ireland’s archaeological heritage. This funding is prioritised for local authorities, private...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 ("the Regulations") which came into effect on 1 July 2019. In essence, the legislation requires home-sharers letting rooms in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a new tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of development on lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. It aims to bring those lands which have benefitted from investment in services and are capable of being developed forward for housing. The tax is an action contained...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Media (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Corporately, my Department uses five social media accounts. In addition, there are approximately a further 40 social media accounts operated locally in my Department in areas such as our six National Parks; the LIFE Programme; National Inventory of Archaeological Heritage; National Monument Service; Marine Planning Ireland and Fire Safety Ireland. Given the number of these accounts, the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in relation to the drafting of the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill, which is well advanced.   Finalisation of this complex Bill has been identified as a priority and the Department is working towards the publication of the Bill in April.  It is hoped that the Bill would then be able to progress...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Housing for All, is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under Exchequer funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Question refers to the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Development contribution charges to be applied on developers are set at the planning permission stage but are not collectable by the relevant local authority until after the development work commences. Commencement notices are issued by the developer to the local authority and these generally trigger the raising of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authorities, as housing authorities, have responsibility for the planning and provision of housing in their respective areas. My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services. In April 2022, I announced an advanced element of funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services. The Rural Water Working Group will shortly finalise the composition of the measures for inclusion for funding under the upcoming multi-annual programme.  When I have had an opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Regulations (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Provisions relating to placename changes in Part 18 of the amended Local Government Act 2001 were commenced in early 2019. Previous provisions under local government legislation were repealed. In addition, provisions in the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, amending Part 18 of the 2001 Act, were commenced. The commenced provisions under the amended Part 18 of the 2001 Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The Household Means Policy and accompanying guidance, which sets out how local authorities should assess household means, provides savings are only relevant to the assessment in so far as they generate income for applicant households through dividends or interest. Determining whether a household meets the income criteria when applying for social housing support is based on a calculation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the current grant scheme, as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. The administrative areas of the following counties have been designated by the Act for the purposes of the enhanced...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in those areas. The Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is a key initiative which underpins...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. On 20 January 2023, I launched a three-month public consultation on proposed amendments to Part B of the Building Regulations relating to fire safety. The details of the public consultation can be found on my Department’s website at the following linkwww.gov.ie/en/consultation/1ed7c-public-consultation-on-...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the reply to Question No. 560 of 18 January 2023 which sets out the position in the matter. 

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Foreshore Issues (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 160 and 161 together. My Department operates the consenting regime under the Foreshore Act 1933,as amended, managing the regulation of a range of different marine activities and infrastructural developments. The volume of applications made under the Act in recent years has grown significantly. In parallel, my Department is leading an extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Feb 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Updated Planning Guidelines on short-term letting are currently being prepared by my Department to complement the Registration of Short-Term Tourist Letting Bill 2022 being brought forward by my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is intended that the updated guidelines will be published on the enactment of the Bill.